Lake Raqqa

Lake Assad extends over 610 square kilometers along the Euphrates River, creating a substantial water reservoir behind the Tabqa Dam.

The Soviet Union and West Germany provided financial support in the 1960s to construct the Tabqa Dam, which formed Lake Assad in 1974.

The formation of Lake Assad required extensive archaeological excavations, revealing settlements from the Natufian period through the Ottoman Empire.

The reservoir supplies drinking water to Aleppo through a network of canals and maintains agricultural irrigation systems on both sides of the Euphrates.

The island of Jazirat al-Thawra within Lake Assad functions as a nature reserve where migratory birds spend winter months.

GPS coordinates: 36.00000,38.17111

Latest update: July 25, 2025 09:15